If you’re looking for a good time close to home, why not visit Atlantic City, located off the New Jersey shoreline, in a beautiful seaside resort on Abescon Island. The city is home to numerous five-star hotels that are sure to please. There are also excellent accommodations with less expensive taste. These hotels are comfortable and clean and feature all the necessary services you expect at a great price.

When you get to Atlantic-City you’ll find that most of the hotels offer flexible pricing to stay competitive. The prices generally are set according to what they offer. The size of the room and bed type are major factors in determining the price. Standard, superior and suite rooms all are different rates.

The rate is also affected by the length of one’s stay and the season in which they visit Atlantic City. During the winter coastal hotels or resorts generally offer discounted prices. The prices are often higher during the peak seasons, summer and weekends.

If you are traveling for work you are likely to be eligible for a special corporate or business rate. Special groups or associations receive cheaper rooms, as well. Senior citizens sometimes luck out, too and get discounts.

There are numerous price packages available for guests. If you book your room through a travel agent you can often qualify for a special rate.

If you want to stay at the best, you will pay between $120 and $350. Those are the rates at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Hilton Casino Atlantic City Resort, and Skyline Tower Atlantic City.

Ending a battle that lasted more than a year, the City Council voted to end the last major loophole to a tough statewide ban on smoking in public buildings that had conspicuously exempted gambling halls.But patrons still will be able to light up in unstaffed smoking lounges away from the table games and slot machines if the 11 individual casinos choose to build them. The ban takes effect Oct. 15. Smoking would still be permitted in enclosed smoking lounges where there would be no gambling.

New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act took effect April 15, 2006, prohibiting smoking in restaurants, bars, office buildings and other indoor spaces. It carries fines of $250 to $1,000 for people who light up and businesses that let them. The one exception then: Atlantic City casinos, which argued that a smoking ban would drive away business.

Although, New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act took effect April 15, 2006 had the casino exemption, anti-smoking groups generally supported the state law, even while vowing to work to include the gambling halls later on. Now the city, through a local ordinance, is poised to give them what they’ve been seeking. About two dozen casino workers held a rally on the Boardwalk on Tuesday to support the City Council proposal. Smokers will be able to continue lighting up in New Jersey’s 11 casinos but will have much less room in which to do it, after the City Council passed a compromise law by restricting but not banning smoking on the gambling floor. It prohibits smoking on 75 percent of a casino floor but requires that 25 percent of the floor space be set aside as smoking areas. The council had considered a total ban on casino smoking, but it backed down under extreme pressure from the casino industry, which said it could lose 20 percent of its revenue and 3,400 jobs.

8% of smokers as well as former smokers who were surveyed revealed that they tried to quit because of a smoking ban. There is clearly something telling smokers that they should try to quit, as 43% of the 27,000 smokers and former smokers surveyed stated they tried to quit from 2006 to 2008.The attempts are there, and smoking bans only helps that further as they are not as prone to light up a cigarette if regulation does not allow them to do so in places where they live.

The full smoking ban was to take effect 90 days after being signed into law by Evans. But just before the vote, a compromise was reached between council members and casino officials to extend the deadline to Oct. 15, 2008 to have the smoking lounges built.

There was mixed reaction to a full smoking ban among some other patrons of the seaside resort. Some smokers forced to not to smoke as because the full ban’s becoming law and some of them are not interested in visiting Atlantic City no more and they wish to fit out to Places like Las Vegas where smoking is allowed.

Every year an estimated 53,000 Americans die because of exposure to secondhand smoke, say health experts, and that’s not to mention the hundreds of thousands who develop serious diseases as a result — cancer, asthma and heart disease. So far,18 states have passed laws banning smoking in public places, but sometimes special exemptions in those laws make the bills all but meaningless.

A ban on smoking should not deter people who enjoy casino entertainment from smoking – rather it will give them a reason to choose to play in a casino in a neighboring state. A ban on smoking will for sure put New Jersey at a competitive disadvantage, as neighboring states will benefit from New Jersey’s loss.

Atlantic City has done something that at one time seemed to be impossible. The crowds are back and tourism has accelerated. Hundreds of Thousands of people each weekend go to Atlantic City to visit, gamble, eat, shop and relax. There are unbelievable options and some of the finest restaurants in the country. Great Shows with big names abound. As Atlantic City regains her title of the top area destination point it is breaking all the records.

Not more than a few years ago the areas adjacent the Casinos were over run with street gangs, crime, graffiti, filth, drugs and prostitution. As a matter of fact you had to drive through much of it, just to get there. Today it is a much different story indeed. But how did they do it? Tourists are back on the boardwalk, the small businesses are making money and big name entertainers are back in force, as the tourists with their dollars flow into the New Atlantic City in droves.

Thanks to a combination of business and government, non-profit groups and volunteers working with a “Can-Do” attitude working in a seamless and motivated team atmosphere they have finally done it. There is probably no greater example in the United States as such a revitalization recovery. The City is beautiful, well manicured with landscaping, tourists walking around enjoying themselves feeling safe and cared about. The trash is gone and they clean up any graffiti within hours. There is no more litter, empty fields where low-income type housing had been torn down, now instead host parks.

It appears as the landscaping and care has gone into the common areas, nearby parks, sidewalks and shopping areas a new image has appeared and it has “Atlantic City” all over it; the landscaping team is run by Jon Bitzer. Jon is in charge of up keeping the landscaping and image of the grounds, which have brought back the pedestrians and shoppers and couples come for a romantic weekend or weekday visit. “We have a small team here, but we get it done” says Jon Bitzer. Jon has broken his crews into teams; one crew is strictly in charge of mowing; each special team has a schedule of routine maintenance, which is assigned. Other teams are extending the reach of the redevelopment and block-by-block the city is getting cleaned up. The Mom and Pop Shops and Small Business are looking forward to the ever increasing sales, the Major Chains are also taking notice and investing capital and with each new business it means new jobs for the area. What a success story indeed.

By keeping the surrounding area completely free from debris, trash and graffiti the tourists and couples are coming back and every month the number of visitors is growing. Thanks to the teamwork and leadership of Jon Bitzer the city has never looked better. If you are planning a trip on the East Coast, there is no better destination point than the New Atlantic City. The signs say Atlantic City is for lovers and indeed with the renewed ambiance, attitude and attributes, it is true. Atlantic City should be used as an example for the revitalizing of America and her historic Downtown Cities. It is surprising what can be done when a team committed to making it happen believes in the cause. Atlantic City, thanks for the hospitality, we will definitely be back soon.